Skate



F. M MILLAN July 29, 1930.

SKATE Filed April 20, 1929 Patented July 29, 1930 I swsaimrss TEN 'I OFFICE FRANK 'MAcIarL nn, or rear n'snnnw JERSEY SKATE Application filed A rnao, 1929. Serial No. 356,651.

. especially adapted to beused tor roadskating.

An object, of my invention is to provide a skate of thetype mentioned having a simple and inexpensive, yet efficient, Wheel mounting which. enables the skater to steer the skate with ease and facility. 1 r I V Another object of my invention is to provide a skate having a wheel mounting of such construction that shocks incident to irregularities of the readers e'fiectively absorbed. A further object of my invention is to pro vide a skate having awheelmounting of-such construction that the tire, or the tire and rim, can be readily removed from thewheel, and be as readily replaced, without the necessity of detaching the body of the wheel from the mounting. Y q Qther objects and advantages of the inven tion will hereinafter appear.

Myinvention comprises a, skate having an endarm,extension laterally offset from the foot bar, a vertically-disposedrocker spaced from the inner side of the extension and havingia substantially vertical axis of oscillation on said extension, a wheel mounted on-a horizontal axissupported'on the outer side of the rocker between the foot bar andthe axis of oscillation of the rocker, and resilient cush ioning means co-acting with the said rocker and extension and operative to maintain the Wheel normally in a central position with respect to the foot bar, yetpermitthe rocker and wheel tobe easily swung within limits to the right or left atthe will of the skater; The invention also comprises: n0vel,,fea-' tures' of construction and combinations of parts whichwill be hereinafter described; the scope of the-inventionthen being defined in the appended claims. lnt m nse v Figurel'; is ajside elevation of a skate equipped with a front wheel mounting, =ernbodying the preterredtorm of my invention,

and its mounting; 1 p I Fig. 3 s a'sect1on, as on the line 33 of Fig. 2 is bottom viewof thefront wheel Fig.v 2, a part of thewheel being indicated, 7

- Fig. 4 is a section through the rubber cushion, as on the line of Fig. 3.

Referring to thedrawings, 5 designates the longitudinal toot bar of a skate',lwhichi bar, in the present instance, ,co mprisestwo telescopic tubular members adjustably connected by means of a bolt 6 passing through perfofrationsin the two members in the usual manner. These members are provided with sole and heel plates 7, 8, respectively, towhich a shoe, as 9,is riveted or otherwise secured. Beyond the respective ends 0t and-in align ment with theybar are the lront and rear wheels 10, 11, respectively, the latter, in; the present instance, being. axially; supported in a rigid vfor]: l2 extending rearwardly from thebar. w i; i

The front wheelflOis so mounted that it is resiliently held in alignmentwith the rear wheel, yet'it has capacity for. lateral defiec} .tion to the right or :left, at the will oft-l e.v

skater, in order to facilitate the, steering, of

the skate. Accordingly,-the'front endlof the toot bar 5 is provided'with, afforwarsdly extending arm 13 which is offset laterallyfrom the path of theadjacent wheel a'ndterminates in an integral head'beyond' the axis of the. wheel. This head,,in the preferred form illustrated, includes "a bracket portion 14 and a pivot stud 15, the former risingabove the axis of the Wheel 'andf terminating in an expandedbearing lug 16, and' the pivot stud depending below such axis. j I

The axle 17 on which the wheel 10 is mount: ed,'usually with ball bearings, extendshori zontallyv outward from the upstanding leg 18 of an L-shaped rocker,'w h ich isspa'ced from the inner side of the-arm .13. The otherleg 19, of the-rocker. extends forwardly and ter-i minates in a lateral lug 20 having a perform tion 21. through which. the pivot stud 15fex-j v tends. .Hence therockerandthe'wheelhave capacity for bodilyfrocking "movement,

stud as. an axis. The rocker leg-18 terminates through a-relativelylargearc,aboutthe pivot is opposite to and spaced from the lug 16 at the top of the bracket, and a resilient cushion 23, preferably of elastic rubber, is inter-.

posed between the lugs and held in place by a bolt 24 passing axially therethrough and through suitable perforations in the respective lugs. The cushion maintains the rocker also absorbs or reduces the shocks incident to irregularities of the road during straight ahead skating. By screwing up or unscrewing the boltnut 240 the tension of the rubber cushion, and consequently the range of pivotal movement of the wheel 10, can be adjusted to meet the requirements of the skater.

Since the axis of oscillation ofthe rocker is laterally and forward of the axis of the 1 wheel, and therefore forward of the point of peripheral contact of the wheel with the ground, a relatively wide horizontal arc may be described by the rocker and the axis of the wheel, thus permitting the wheel to be steered with facility within a relatively small or large radius, as desired, which operation is also facilitatedby the relative positions of the pivot and cushion respectively below and .above the axis of the wheel.

The pivot stud l5-is preferably slightlyinclined with respect to the vertical, as indicatedby the dot and dashline in Fig. 3, so that when thewei 'ht of the'skater is imposed on the rubber-tired wheel, the pivot assumes a verticalposition. If the laterally-disposed pivot were normally vertical the action of the weight uponthe rubber tire would incline the pivot slightly, with a resulting tendency ofthe wheel to run to oneside, which eiiect is counteracted by the normal inclination of the pivot as mentioned. When the axis of the pivot 15 is in vertical position, it is in alignment, or substantially so, with the upper part of the bracket 14, adjacent the head of the bolt Qabout which the upper part of the rockerpivots (against the resilient action'of the cushion) and therefore a stronger and more eliicient turning force ishad than if the pivot 15 were nearer the bearing. point of the wheel on the road surface.

The mounting of the wheel on a rocker laterally of a single supporting armenables the ready removal of the rubber tire 25 from the wheel, orits replacement thereon, without the otherwise necessity of detaching the wheel from the mounting'or bearings. In order that the rim 26 of the wheel may be similarly removed if desired, I may construct-the rim in a separate piece and detachably secure it by bolts 27 to the arms or sideof the wheel body.

While I have herein shown and described my invention as applied to the front wheel of a skate, it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to the rear wheel also, if desired. It is also to be understood that my invention is not limited to the particular exemplifying construction herein de scribed, as the same may be modified with in the principle of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

1. A roller skate ot' the type described, comprising a foot bar having a rigid end extension offset laterally from the bar, a verticallydisposed rocker spaced from the inner side of the extension and having a substantially vertical axis of oscillation on said extension, a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on the outer side of the rocker between the foot bar and the axis of oscillation of the rocker, and resilient cushioning means'co-acting with the said rocker and extension and operative to maintain the wheel normally in a central position with respect to the foot bar.

2. Aroller skate or" the type described, comprising a foot bar having a rigid end extension ofi'set laterally from the bar, a verticallydisposed rocker spaced from the inner side of the'extension, a pivot stud between the rocker and extension, a resilient cushion between said rocker and extension, said pivot stud and cushion being in vertically-spaced relation to each other and operative to permit oscillation of the rocker in a limited horizontal arc, and a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on the outer side of the rocker betweenthe foot bar and the axis of oscillation of the rocker.

3. In a rollerskate of the type described, a foot bar having an end arm extension oflset laterally from the bar, a vertically disposed rocker pivotally mounted for horizontal movement on the extension and spaced from the inner sidethereof, a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on the outer side of the rocker and above the pivot of the rocker, and a resilient cushion co-acting with the said rocker and extension in a plane above the axis of the wheel and operative tomaintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar. I

4. In a roller skate of the type described, a foot bar having an end arm extension offset laterally from the bar, said extension terminating in a head having an upstanding portion and a basal pivot, avertically disposed L-shaped rocker spaced fromthe inner side of the extension and having its horizontal leg mounted on said pivot, a wheel having a horizontal axis ot'rotation on the outer side of the rocker and above the pivot of the rocker, and a resilient cushion interposed between the upper end of the rocker and the upstanding portion of the head and operative to maintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar.

5. In a roller skate of the type described, a foot bar having an end arm extension oil'- set laterally from the bar, said extension terminating in a head having an upstanding portion and a depending basal pivot, a vertically disposed L-shaped rocker spaced from the inner side of the extension and having its horizontal leg vertically perforated to receive the pivot, an axle extending outwardly from the vertical leg of the rocker in a plane above the pivot, a wheel mounted on said axle, and a resilient cushion interposed between the upper portion of the rocker and the upstanding portion of the head and operative to maintain the wheel normally in central position with through which the pivot stud extends, an axle extending outwardly from the rocker in a plane above the pivot, a rubber-tired wheel mounted on said axle, and a resilient cushion interposed between the upper portion of the rocker and the upstanding portion of the head and operative to maintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar.

7. In a roller skate of the type described, a foot bar having an end arm extension offset laterally from the bar, a vertically disposed rocker pivotally mounted on the extension and spaced from the inner side thereof, a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on the outer side of the rocker and above the pivot of the rocker, said wheel comprising a body portion and a rubber-tired rim detach: ably mounted thereon, and a resilient cushion co-acting with the rocker and extension in a plane above the axis of the wheel and operative to maintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar.

8. In a roller skate of the type described, a foot bar having an end arm extension offset laterally from the bar, said extension terminating in a head having an upstanding portion and a depending basal pivot, a vertically disposed L-shaped rocker spaced from the inner side of the extension and having its horizontal leg vertically, perforated to receive the pivot, an axle extending outwardly from the vertical leg of the rocker in a plane i above the pivot, a wheel mounted on said axle, a resilient cushion interposed between to maintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar, and tension adjusting means for said cushion.

9. In a roller skate of the type described, a foot bar having an extendingend member,

a vertically-disposed rocker pivotally mount- 7 ed for horizontal movement on said member, a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on said rocker above the pivot of the rocker, and a resilient cushion co-acting with the said rocker and end member in a plane above the axis of the wheel and operative to maintain the wheel normally in central position with respect to the foot bar, the pivot of the rocker being in substantially vertical alignment with the portion of the'member opposing the action of the cushion.

10. A roller skate of the type described, comprising a foot bar having a rigid end extension, a vertically-disposed rocker spaced laterally from the end extension and having a substantially vertical pivot connection With said extension adjacent the free end of the extension, a wheel having a horizontal axis of rotation on the rocker in a plane above the pivot connection and between said connection and the foot bar, and a resilient cushion interposed between the rocker and the extension in a plane above the axis of the wheel and laterally of the wheel.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 17th day of April,

A. D. 1929. I i FRANK MACMILLAN.

i the upper'portion of the rocker and the upw standing portion of the head and operative 

